Six Ohio artists, art educators on display at Troppus Projects

Wednesday

Sep 13, 2017 at 5:45 PM

By Kelly MaileStaff Writer

As Arts in Education Week is being celebrated across the nation, six Ohio artists, who are also art educators, are being recognized in a new exhibition, “Parts Are Essential” at Troppus Projects. A reception will take place from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Friday, during which the community will also be able to participate in hands-on activities, such as learning how to weave and an interactive project that explores the illusion of color.

Grondin, who recently retired from Kent City Schools where she taught art at Davey Elementary School, will display a series of mixed media pieces, including one titled “Reflection and Contemplation.”

“How You Want Me To Be” by Dillon Sedar is paint on canvas that features thick and thin layers of gold, black, pastel pink and blue paint leaking down the canvas. Sedar teaches art at Tallmadge City Schools.

Micah Kraus’s pieces are a woodgrain laser engraved photograph and wallpaper made with acrylic ink on rag paper. Kraus focuses on intense pattern and color and natural and human-influenced deterioration. Recently, Kraus, the chair of the visual and performing arts department at Archbishop Hoban, and a former Hoban history teacher took students to visit Auschwitz and a segment of the Berlin Wall as a learning experience.

Stephen Tornero’s large textiles display weaving talents he learned while studying at Kent State University. All the artists in the show are Kent State alumni. Tornero teaches in Canton, as well as kindergarten teacher Erica Raby.

Raby will display her series “Little Escapes” that are mixed media on small canvases.

Amber Grieneisen constructed her own texture using dye, water and honey and then photographed it. The photograph, “Abstract” is on display in the show.

As kids and educators headed back to school, curating this show just made sense to Kelly Dietrick, owner of Troppus Projects.

“Arts being integrated into curriculum is critical,” said Dietrick, a former art professor at Kent State. “It’s not so much about the skills, but students at a young age learning how to think in a creative way is just so critical and I think that’s important to me as an artist, as a community member and a parent, but also to recognize the artists as artists. Being educators is something that they do. Certainly one isn’t above the other.”

A poster show will be on display at Troppus Projects in October, which will coincide with National Arts and Humanities Month. The show will make art “more accessible” to the public, Dietrick said, because she’s making reproductions of original posters priced between $10 and $20.

“Parts Are Essential” runs through Sept. 23. Troppus Projects is located at 141 S. Water St. in Kent. Hours are Wednesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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